I’m not one to promote $250 paddles, but in this case, I will. Note that because we attended an Engage camp, we got a $100 discount, so that made the paddle pretty much in line with other paddles.
Anyway, this is a paddle my wife got. She thought it was too light, so she added lead tape to the bottom. Since she decided that she wanted a 16 MM paddle, I inherited it. Well, I’m glad I did.
The sound that the paddle makes is different from other paddles – not necessarily quieter, but softer. It has great feel around the net and I found that I can really blast my serves as well as put a lot of spin on them. Ditto for ground strokes.
If you are in a firefight, you can count on this paddle. You don’t have to do much. Just meet your opponent’s ball and it will fly right back at them (or wherever you want it to).
Third sot drops/transition zone drops? I can’t say it is superior to any other paddles, but at least as good as any of the other paddles I have tested.
Recommendation – if you want to splurge, this is a paddle to do it with.
PS: from now on, If I add weight to a paddle, I am going to do it along the sides on the bottom, not along the top.